Officials with Fish and Wildlife have been notified and have assumed jurisdiction of this matter.

Police advise the public, particularly those with small children or pets, using the pedestrian path along Bridge Drive as well as other coulee paths to be aware of the presence of coyotes.

Here is what you should do if you encounter a coyote.

• Respond to its presence aggressively by making yourself appear large wave your arms over your head.
• Throw rocks, sticks or other objects to scare it away.
• Carry a whistle and blow it to startle the animal.
• Shout in a loud, deep voice.
• Do not turn away or run as this may trigger a predatory instinct and encourage the coyote to chase after you.
• If the coyote continues to approach, back away slowly and move towards human activity.

The third annual ‘Fill A Truck’ event will take place nationwide in over 70 communities and every qualified donation enters you in a draw to win a trip for two to London, England, for a week.

One hundred percent of net proceeds raised by the Clothesline program directly support the Canadian Diabetes Association and their diabetes research, education, advocacy and important programs like D-Camps. Donating to Clothesline not only helps the more than 9 million Canadians living with diabetes or prediabetes, it also helps our environment by diverting materials that may otherwise end up in landfill.

If unable to donate on May 18, donors can schedule a free pick-up from their front door by visiting diabetes.ca/clothesline or by phoning the toll-free number 800.505.5525. Donors can also drop off a sealed clothing and cloth-based donation at any one of our 1,875 red Clothesline® donation bins located across Canada (visit diabetes.ca/dropbox to locate your nearest donation bin).

Clothesline accepts reusable clothing, all cloth-based items, shoes, boots, books, jewellery, toys, cell phones, cameras, laptops, and more (all electronic items should be sealed in a separate plastic bag).

“We are very proud to celebrate more than 28 years of service in communities across Canada as well as supporting the millions of Canadians living with diabetes or prediabetes,” says Janelle Robertson, Executive Director, Clothesline.

In Lethbridge, Fill a Truck events will take place at both Save-On-Foods locations.

Until May 20, police will conduct a series of extra check stops and other enforcement initiatives aimed at apprehending impaired drivers, distracted drivers, and aggressive drivers. All of these actions put individual drivers, as well as all other users of the road, at risk. In addition, police report they will target seatbelt violations.

The intent of Canada Road Safety Week is to change bad driving habits and behaviour to prevent serious injuries and fatalities.

Drivers are once again reminded of the following.

• Always wear their seatbelt, and ensure all passengers under 18 are buckled up.
• Never use handheld cell phones to talk or text while driving or stopped at red lights, or engage in other distracting activities as prohibited by the distracted driving legislation.
• Never to drive while impaired.
• Drive defensively, not aggressively.

Chief Mountain is located along Highway 6. Last season, approximately 98,187 travellers entered Canada at Chief Mountain and Waterton Lakes National Park, and Canada Border Services Agency officers are preparing for another busy summer.

Hours of operation are from 9:00 to 18:00 from today through May 31. From June 1 through September 2, the port will be open from 7:00 to 22:00. From September 3 until September 30, the hours of operation are from 9:00 to 18:00.

Last week, 10 Lethbridge Regional Police officers completed a new training program and are certified members of an LRPS Crisis Intervention Team.

In addition, 25 community partners from the Lethbridge Shelter, Alberta Works, Alberta Health Services – Seniors Mental Health, Canadian Mental Health Association, and YWCA were also trained and will partner with police to develop strategies and long-term solutions to re-direct individuals with mental health issues from the judicial system to health and social service providers.

CIT is an innovative first-responder model of police-based crisis intervention that provides the foundation necessary to promote community solutions to assist individuals with mental illness. The CIT model works to reduce both stigma and the need for further involvement with the criminal justice system and create sustainable change.

The CIT program was developed and first launched in Memphis, Tennessee, and local efforts to create and train an LRPS team were spearheaded by Sgt. Tiffany Housworth of the Downtown Policing Unit.

Last year, Sgt. Housworth and Sgt. George Carscadden, travelled to Memphis, where they received training and spent time shadowing members of the Memphis Police Department CIT. Since returning to Lethbridge, a local, in-house training program was developed and consists of 40 hours of crisis intervention training covering a variety of topics including clinical issues related to mental illnesses, medications and side effects, developmental disabilities, suicide prevention, mental health diversity, personality disorders, fetal alcohol spectrum disorder, alcohol and drug assessment, and de-escalation techniques.

“People suffering from a mental health crisis are not criminals, but sometimes their behaviour is criminal and that leads them into conflict with the law,” said Sgt. Tiffany Housworth. “Understanding mental health issues and recognizing the challenges when an individual is in crisis is critical to responding in a way that not only reduces the risk to the subject, but to the officers and the community as a whole.”

With the new CIT program, police involvement with an individual in crisis doesn’t end when the incident is resolved.

“Once the initial incident is resolved, we will then work with our community partners to identify strategies and find long-term solutions to help hard to serve individuals cope with their illness and mitigate their chances of coming back into contact with the justice system,” said Housworth.

The show will be open on Friday, June 14, from 10:00 until 19:00, and on Saturday, June 15 from 10:00 until 17:00. This event is an opportunity for quilters from southern Alberta to display their work, and approximately 200 quilts will fill the two college gymnasiums spanning the range from functional traditional quilts to contemporary art quilts.

Two special features this year will be quilts made by quilters under the age of 18, and a collection of antique sewing machines, from the collection of Florence Joyce. Also on display will be a variety of works from the Textile Surface Design Guild from their Metamorphosis Textile Challenge.

As well as the display of quilts, there will be a Merchant Mall of at least 18 vendors from Alberta, BC, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba, whose merchandise will include fabric, embellishments, books, fibre art supplies, clothing, and sewing machines. Four lucky people will win one of three beautiful raffle quilts or one table runner made by members of the guild. Daily admission is $8, with free entry for everyone under the age of 18.

For more information, visit the Lethbridge Centennial Quilters Guild website.

Em Pijl Zieber and Klaas Vanden Beld will receive their awards May 8 at Chinook Regional Hospital. The scholarship was established this year by the Alberta Registered Nurses Educational Trust (ARNET) using funding from Executive Links/Nursing Links, a Calgary provider of nursing education.

This scholarship serves as a memorial to the contributions of Wendy Lipinski, a registered nurse who practised for 18 years in Lethbridge and area. She died of cancer last December at 59 years old. Executive Links owner Terese Fleming wanted to honour the nursing contributions of Lipinski, a lifelong friend.

“I am a nurse myself and, if I was ever in a position where I would need to receive health care, Wendy was the type of nurse I would want caring for me,” Fleming says. “She was such a kind and caring nurse, so gentle and patient.”

Pijl Zieber and Vanden Beld receive scholarships worth a total of $5000. They were chosen by an ARNET allocation committee on the basis of academic merit in their graduate-level studies.

Pijl Zieber, 44, teaches community health nursing theory and clinical courses in the Faculty of Health Sciences at the University of Lethbridge. She is enrolled in doctoral studies at the University of Alberta and has a special interest in nursing in marginalized populations.

“It’s an honour to receive this scholarship,” Pijl Zieber says. “It will help me continue with my research, which is focused on how well nursing students are prepared for registered nursing practice. The nursing profession can make even greater contributions to the health of Canadians by enhancing community health clinical education and by mobilizing students to make a difference in their communities. That could have a positive impact on the health of everyone.”

Vanden Beld, 48, is enrolled in a Master of Nursing program through Athabasca University, in the family nurse practitioner stream. This week, he begins a four-month women’s health practicum at a women’s clinic in Nanton – the first of five practicums that include adult, older adult, paediatric and comprehensive care. He will graduate at the end of 2014. Family nurse practitioners can work in primary care and family care clinics, and in home care.

“If there’s one thing I’ve really learned through the years with nursing is you mentor other people and you take care of your own,” says Vanden Beld, who returned to Alberta two years ago after practising in the U.S. for 20 years. “Through scholarships and funding, it’s really evident that nurses take care of nurses and that’s huge. The pay-it-forward aspect of that sits very deeply with me now – it’s a scholarship with some serious meaning and intention behind it.”

Dan Frechette has performed several major folk festivals and has the distinction of performing the Winnipeg Folk Festival 5 times. His songs have been covered by The Duhks, Dervish, The Ploughboys, Emma Cloney, The Stacks among other groups. He released 10 albums in 2012 all in different genres and has spent the last five years on the road promoting his songs and ebullient personality. His abilities as an impressionist and multiinstrumentalist have impressed many a musician and audience. CBC’s Ismaila Alfa has declared “there’s no Dan Frechette song I don’t like,” and CBC Radio has called Dan “one of
Manitoba’s most loved entertainers.”

Kayla Luky grew up on a small farm in rural Manitoba, giving her country sound absolute authenticity. She has released 5 albums to date, and has toured extensively throughout Canada. Now at the age of 24, recognized for her downhome persona, unique voice, and  songwriting beyond her years, her hard work ethic and DIY attitude will keep her ever present in Canadian independent music.

They will play in Crownsest Pass during Run Runenrs on Wednesday, May 22, 2013, and they will be in Lethbridge the next day at The Owl.

For more information, visit danfrechette.com and kaylaluky.ca.

Green Life Expo will take place from 9:00 to 17:00 on 19 October 2013 in the South Pavilion, and it will be an opportunity for industry professionals to build new contacts and promote environmentally friendly business in Souther nAlberta.

Various themes during the expo will include green energy, green homes and gardens, local and organic marketplace, green building, eco-fashion, transportation, wellness, and geen kids activities.

Admission will be $7 for adults and $5 for youth. Children 6 and under will be free.

For more information, visit the Exhibition Park website.

Beck has testified before several city and town councils on fluoridation, and he was the principal witness of the committee that recommended to Calgary City Council that it stop fluoridation.

The presentation will begin at 19:00 on Monday, May 06, in PE264 at the UNiversity of Lethbridge. There is no cot to attend.